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Aflatoxins and Extension in Zambia

INGENAES
INGENAES

This document summarizes information about aflatoxins and how agricultural extension services (AES) can help support strategies to reduce household exposure, particularly for women. It introduces aflatoxins and their health risks. A case study from Zambia shows how gender roles influence women's ability to control production and implement mitigation strategies. The document suggests AES can improve by considering different constraints faced by men and women and partnering with organizations to integrate gender and nutrition into their work.

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Aflatoxins and extension in Zambia: How AES can help support womens strategies for reducing household exposure to aflatoxins AlysonYoung University of Florida
Introduction Agricultural extension services play an important role in disseminating production information to small farmers Household production and nutrition benefit from increasing extension providers sensitivity to gender issues Women are largely ignored in extension information about aflatoxin control, which has serious consequences for household nutrition and well-being
Overview Introduction to aflatoxins and strategies for their control Zambian case study illustrating how gender roles and household labor allocation influence womens strategies for aflatoxin control Discussion of the implications for improving extension service provision
What are aflatoxins? Common fungal toxins produced by Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus Harmful health effects for humans and animals Reduces the quality of grain and limits its exportation
Aflatoxin contamination levels Maximum risk levels of acceptance for total aflatoxin contamination by different countries and organizations. Country/Organization Maximum risk levels European Union 4 ppb United States 20 ppb Japan 0 ppb Codex Alimentarius Commission 15 ppb
How crops get contaminated Pre harvest Repeated cultivation of host plants Late planting Drought Termite attack Poor field hygiene Plant density Poor water management Harvest Poor harvesting technique Premature harvest Late harvest Post harvest Improper drying Improper shelling Poor curing techniques Poor stripping Poor grading/sorting Poor storage conditions Poor transport
How to reduce aflatoxin contamination Post Harvest Processor Strategies Sorting before shelling Grading after shelling Avoid using grade-outs Post Harvest Household Strategies Proper shelling Proper drying Grading and sorting Proper storage Crop Management Strategies Early planting Field hygiene Water harvesting Soil amendments Harvest timing Avoid pod injury Soil removal
Eastern Province Zambia * * *
Mechanical pod damage Insect damage Plant disease Delays in harvest Pod damage during harvest Insect damage during storage Moisture damage in storage Wetting during shelling Agree Disagree Don't know 0% 50% 100% Marks on cotyledons Bitter taste White mold inside pod Underdevelopment of roots Staple crops Animal products Processed foods Store-bought Factors that contribute to risk for aflatoxins Foods commonly contaminated by aflatoxins Signs of aflatoxin contamination Aflatoxin Knowledge
Gender and Groundnut Production 0 50 100 Planting Weeding Harvesting Sales/Marketing 0 50 100 Men control production (n=10) Women control production (n=15) Mens labor Womens labor
Gender, groundnuts, and aflatoxins Control of production Knowledge about aflatoxins and best practice Access to services and technology Time and energy constraints Timing of harvest Drying techniques Processing strategies Education Labor Knowledge about best practice Access to services and technology Timing of harvest Drying techniques Processing strategies Impact on aflatoxin mitigation
Womens perceptions of relative risk Livelihood constraints Other risks to health and nutrition Aflatoxin risk
Implications for extension services Important to consider the different constraints that men and women face when organizing and designing trainings Men and women may have different perceptions of risk and strategies for dealing with food and nutrition insecurity that should be taken into account during training Partnering with development organizations can help agricultural extension providers learn and integrate gender and nutrition into fieldwork
Additional resources Aflatoxin timeline: http://www.icrisat.org/aflatoxin-timeline/ Video on managing aflatoxins in groundnuts during drying and storing: https://www.accessagriculture.org/managing-aflatoxins- groundnuts-during-drying-and-storage Guide for extension workers on how to reduce aflatoxin contamination in groundnuts and maize: http://www.icrisat.org/wp- content/uploads/2017/02/Aflatoxin_mannual.pdf Gender and nutrition sensitive training materials and tools for extension: https://ingenaes.illinois.edu/
This presentation was made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development, USAID.The contents are the responsibility of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government. Thank you.

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Aflatoxins and Extension in Zambia

  • 1. Aflatoxins and extension in Zambia: How AES can help support womens strategies for reducing household exposure to aflatoxins AlysonYoung University of Florida
  • 2. Introduction Agricultural extension services play an important role in disseminating production information to small farmers Household production and nutrition benefit from increasing extension providers sensitivity to gender issues Women are largely ignored in extension information about aflatoxin control, which has serious consequences for household nutrition and well-being
  • 3. Overview Introduction to aflatoxins and strategies for their control Zambian case study illustrating how gender roles and household labor allocation influence womens strategies for aflatoxin control Discussion of the implications for improving extension service provision
  • 4. What are aflatoxins? Common fungal toxins produced by Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus Harmful health effects for humans and animals Reduces the quality of grain and limits its exportation
  • 5. Aflatoxin contamination levels Maximum risk levels of acceptance for total aflatoxin contamination by different countries and organizations. Country/Organization Maximum risk levels European Union 4 ppb United States 20 ppb Japan 0 ppb Codex Alimentarius Commission 15 ppb
  • 6. How crops get contaminated Pre harvest Repeated cultivation of host plants Late planting Drought Termite attack Poor field hygiene Plant density Poor water management Harvest Poor harvesting technique Premature harvest Late harvest Post harvest Improper drying Improper shelling Poor curing techniques Poor stripping Poor grading/sorting Poor storage conditions Poor transport
  • 7. How to reduce aflatoxin contamination Post Harvest Processor Strategies Sorting before shelling Grading after shelling Avoid using grade-outs Post Harvest Household Strategies Proper shelling Proper drying Grading and sorting Proper storage Crop Management Strategies Early planting Field hygiene Water harvesting Soil amendments Harvest timing Avoid pod injury Soil removal
  • 9. Mechanical pod damage Insect damage Plant disease Delays in harvest Pod damage during harvest Insect damage during storage Moisture damage in storage Wetting during shelling Agree Disagree Don't know 0% 50% 100% Marks on cotyledons Bitter taste White mold inside pod Underdevelopment of roots Staple crops Animal products Processed foods Store-bought Factors that contribute to risk for aflatoxins Foods commonly contaminated by aflatoxins Signs of aflatoxin contamination Aflatoxin Knowledge
  • 10. Gender and Groundnut Production 0 50 100 Planting Weeding Harvesting Sales/Marketing 0 50 100 Men control production (n=10) Women control production (n=15) Mens labor Womens labor
  • 11. Gender, groundnuts, and aflatoxins Control of production Knowledge about aflatoxins and best practice Access to services and technology Time and energy constraints Timing of harvest Drying techniques Processing strategies Education Labor Knowledge about best practice Access to services and technology Timing of harvest Drying techniques Processing strategies Impact on aflatoxin mitigation
  • 12. Womens perceptions of relative risk Livelihood constraints Other risks to health and nutrition Aflatoxin risk
  • 13. Implications for extension services Important to consider the different constraints that men and women face when organizing and designing trainings Men and women may have different perceptions of risk and strategies for dealing with food and nutrition insecurity that should be taken into account during training Partnering with development organizations can help agricultural extension providers learn and integrate gender and nutrition into fieldwork
  • 14. Additional resources Aflatoxin timeline: http://www.icrisat.org/aflatoxin-timeline/ Video on managing aflatoxins in groundnuts during drying and storing: https://www.accessagriculture.org/managing-aflatoxins- groundnuts-during-drying-and-storage Guide for extension workers on how to reduce aflatoxin contamination in groundnuts and maize: http://www.icrisat.org/wp- content/uploads/2017/02/Aflatoxin_mannual.pdf Gender and nutrition sensitive training materials and tools for extension: https://ingenaes.illinois.edu/
  • 15. This presentation was made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development, USAID.The contents are the responsibility of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government. Thank you.